Magnitude 7.9 - TONGA REGION - possible tsunami?

[Andrew]

Magnitude 7.9 - TONGA REGION
2009 March 19 18:17:37 UTC

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/rece...09ejbr.php

[bystander]

TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 3
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
1009 AM HST THU MAR 19 2009

TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII

SUBJECT - FINAL TSUNAMI ADVISORY

THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS ENDED FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII EFFECTIVE
AT 1009 AM HST.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 0818 AM HST 19 MAR 2009
COORDINATES - 23.0 SOUTH 174.8 WEST
LOCATION - TONGA ISLANDS REGION
MAGNITUDE - 7.7 MOMENT

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY

GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----
NIUE 19.1S 169.9W 1911Z 0.04M / 0.1FT 06MIN

LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.

EVALUATION

THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS CANCELLED THE REGIONAL
TSUNAMI WARNING IT ISSUED FOR ANOTHER PART OF THE PACIFIC. BASED
ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA THERE IS NO DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THREAT TO
HAWAII AND THE ADVISORY FOR HAWAII IS ALSO CANCELLED.

HOWEVER... SOME COASTAL AREAS IN HAWAII COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL
NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL CURRENTS
LASTING UP TO SEVERAL HOURS. THE ESTIMATED TIME SUCH EFFECTS
MIGHT BEGIN IS

0236 PM HST THU 19 MAR 2009

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL MESSAGE ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/ha...200910.txt

[Andrew]

Thanks for the update bystander.

[gtill]

Earthquake minor compared to the massive Volcanic Eruption taking place just off Tonga. Main island is upwind of eruption, but massive vog is in their future.

[Devany]

Not going to be a problem for us.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Andrew

Magnitude 7.9 - TONGA REGION
2009 March 19 18:17:37 UTC

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/rece...09ejbr.php

---

Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

www.eastbaypotters.com
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com

[gtill]

This one didn't bother us, but it was 7.5 or so, preceeding the growth of a new Island being born, like one day we'll see at Loiki! Better yet there was a 5.0 on the only island between it and us this week on Monday.

Krakatoa was a new island being built and generated a 125' tsunami which would wrap around this island for sure. So glad I'm not oceanfront!

[Obie]

quote:

---

Originally posted by gtill

This one didn't bother us, but it was 7.5 or so, preceeding the growth of a new Island being born, like one day we'll see at Loiki! Better yet there was a 5.0 on the only island between it and us this week on Monday.

Krakatoa was a new island being built and generated a 125' tsunami which would wrap around this island for sure. So glad I'm not oceanfront!

---

This was the result in Hawaii.

HAWAII: A small oscillation of only 0.24 meters was recorded by the Honolulu tide gauge on the island of Oahu, 17 hours after the explosion of Krakatoa.

I don't think I am too worried.

[Carey]

An oscillation did cause an evident current change in Hilo yesterday, it was evident on the surface & had a whirlpool-ish look as the change happened around 2:30pm.